The Megyn Kelly Show | Ep. 1181

Theme: Smoking Gun Biden Cover-Up Admission, Brutal KJP Interview, and Zohran's "Aunt" Lie
Date: October 28, 2025
Host: Megyn Kelly
Guests: Ruthless Podcast crew (Josh Holmes, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook, Comfortably Smug)

Episode Overview

This episode centers on three major political stories:

1. A bombshell video of top Biden advisor Mike Donilon admitting to a massive financial incentive tied to Biden’s reelection—raising questions about greed and cover-ups at the White House.
2. A scathing, often-comedic breakdown of a disastrous interview with former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, highlighting evasions, DEI-language reliance, and confusion over basic questions.
3. Exposure of New York political candidate Zohran Mamdani's misleading 9/11 “aunt” story and the dangers of radical left/Islamist alignment in NYC politics.

Megyn, with the Ruthless team, delivers sharp, unfiltered analysis, lambasting hypocrisy and perceived dishonesty, with signature barbed wit.

Key Segments & Discussions

1. Smoking Gun: Biden Advisor's $8 Million Admission

[00:33–11:58]

Main Point:
A newly released video by the House Oversight Committee shows former Biden senior advisor Mike Donilon, under questioning, stuttering and dodging before reluctantly admitting that, in addition to $4 million already paid, he’d receive another $4 million if Biden won reelection.

Discussion Highlights:

• Evasion and Admission: Donilon repeatedly stalls, dances around straightforward questions, eventually conceding the multimillion-dollar arrangement.
• Megyn Kelly’s Reaction:

  “He tries to avoid answering, but eventually he's forced to admit the truth. Watch this entire two-minute painful thing.” (03:57) "It's obvious. Good for them for following up. A lesser lawyer wouldn't have done it. These guys did." (06:29)

• Ruthless Panel’s Take:
  • John Ashbrook: “We have a joke ... there is no fiercer capitalist than a progressive Democrat in Washington, D.C. They’re going to get paid, right? ... This guy is a perfect encapsulation of that.” (12:35)
  • Comfortably Smug: “Any political consultant could recite what their win bonus is in their sleep ... for him to be like, ‘yeah ... $4 million’ ... This Biden Inc. We toss 4 mil around like it’s nothing.” (13:40)
• Conflict of Interest: Discussion of the ethical problem of a close adviser standing to make millions based on Biden clinging to office despite questions about cognitive decline.
• Donor Money Outrage:
  • John Ashbrook: “Eight million is a big number. ... That is insane.” (17:31)
  • Comfortably Smug: “All those $20 and $5 donations are getting rolled up into 8 million to go into Donilon’s pocket. That is absolutely not a normal amount to be paid.” (18:21)

Notable Quotes:

• Megyn Kelly: “What you loved was the almighty dollar, sir. That’s obvious.” (07:14)
• Comfortably Smug: “The fact that this guy’s trying to run the clock ... is an admission of guilt that you did something you know was wrong.” (15:54)

Timestamps:

• [00:33] Megyn introduces the Donilon story
• [04:06–06:05] Audio of Donilon’s questioning and admission
• [12:19] Ruthless team joins panel

2. Karine Jean-Pierre’s Brutal Interview Breakdown

[21:00–41:24]

Main Point:
Megyn and the Ruthless crew dissect KJP’s widely panned interview with Isaac Chotiner from The New Yorker. Subjects include KJP’s claim of betrayal by the Democratic party, her DEI reliance (“as a Black queer woman...”), her loyalty to Biden, and her inability to answer simple questions.

Discussion Highlights:

• Evasion and Word Salad: KJP repeatedly stalls with phrases like “wait, wait, wait,” fixates on identity qualities, and is unable to articulate clear positions on Biden’s competence or party loyalty.
• Isaac Chotiner’s Persistence:

  “I’m not sure what you’re saying.” (26:27)
  “Is this a matter of how you treat someone or a matter of putting the country first?” (29:42)

• Panel Satire:
  • “What is a black queer woman?” Panel repeatedly riffs on KJP’s fallback to identity—“She pushed the button,” “Mocha skin,” “I’m vanilla ... Madagascar vanilla.”
  • Media Indulgence: The Ruthless team discusses how KJP’s lack of scrutiny by friendly media left her ill-equipped for genuine questions.
  • “Saying the quiet thing out loud” Mocking KJP’s use of political clichés as if she were being bold.
• DEI Critique: Both Megyn and guests argue KJP is a product of a system valuing “checked boxes” over competence and openly mock her publisher for putting out her book.

Notable Quotes:

• Megyn Kelly: “We can see what happened here. She got the job totally because of DEI, obviously. ... She actually really never had to answer questions about what she thought.” (40:10)
• Comfortably Smug: “There is no greater example of what happens... this woman has no business writing a book, let alone being the spokesperson for the President...” (38:00)

Timestamps:

• [21:00] KJP interview enters discussion
• [23:53, 25:57, 26:27, 27:42] Key interview exchanges
• [39:13] Media bubble enabling Democratic incompetence

3. The Zorhan Mamdani “Aunt” Lie and NYC Politics

[67:52–91:13]

Main Point:
Zorhan Mamdani, candidate for NYC mayor, gave an emotional speech claiming his “aunt” stopped wearing a hijab after 9/11 due to fear—only for the story to unravel under scrutiny. The panel exposes the lie, his radical affiliations, and the misuse of Islamophobia rhetoric.

Discussion Highlights:

• Faking Victimhood:
  • Megyn Kelly: “There’s no aunt. ... It’s unclear whether she ever wore a hijab or rode the subway at all.” (69:27)
• Radical Ties:
  • Mamdani’s connections with an imam who testified for the 1993 WTC bombers; his father's academic apologetics for suicide bombers.
• Islamophobia as Deflection:

  “Islamophobia is a made up term meant to silence critics of Islam. Critics of Islam are onto something. Islam is incompatible with Western values.” (77:09)

• Ruthless Panel’s Outrage:
  • Comfortably Smug: “I'm going to disagree with you completely ... Don't support Cuomo, vote for Sliwa. ... New York's going to get what they want. They're going to get what they deserve.” (75:46)
  • Megyn Kelly: “The nerve of him trying to take 9/11 and make it about Islamophobia...” (80:45)

9/11 Remembrance:
Megyn drives the point home by playing heartwrenching 911 calls from actual 9/11 victims—Kevin Cosgrove and Melissa Doi (82:21–88:21)—to re-center the meaning of 9/11 away from Islamophobia and towards the suffering caused by Islamist terrorism.

Notable Quotes:

• Megyn Kelly: “That is what happened when Kevin Cosgrove was killed on 9/11 ... That day is about him. ... It is not about some fake invented aunt. It is not about Islamophobia.” (83:10)
• John Ashbrook: “It shocks me to my core that we are having a very real discussion ... where we've got a guy who's on the terror side. On the terror side of the equation.” (94:20)
• Megyn Kelly: “If you're asking me whether I want Islam taking over American cities and our positions of power, the answer is no. If that makes me phobic of Islam, I don't give a shit.” (96:13)

Timestamps:

• [68:46] Mamdani’s speech played and debunked
• [82:21] Heartbreaking 9/11 victim audio played as counterpoint
• [86:07–88:21] More 9/11 testimonies

4. Gavin Newsom's "Poor Kid" Act

[98:26–102:57]

Main Point:
Governor Gavin Newsom appears on a podcast with two former NBA players and attempts to relate by telling a “rags to riches” story, despite his well-documented privilege as a Getty family protégé.

Panel Reaction:

• Laughter at Newsom’s claim:

  “I had a stack of Wonder Bread and some macaroni and cheese. I was out on the corner. It was just me and the Gettys. You know how it is. Just like a normal kid having to hustle.” (100:10)

• John Ashbrook: “He’s talking to a bunch of former NBA guys ... he would lead them to believe that he's crossing over Stephon Marbury at Rucker Park, when in actuality he's hanging out with the Gettys, stomping from wine grapes, actually asking someone else to stomp on the wine.” (101:33)

Timestamps:

• [99:29] Newsom audio; panel breakdown and mockery

Memorable Moments & Pull Quotes

• Megyn Kelly on Donilon:

  “You're afraid. You utter coward. You greedy coward.” (08:34)

• Josh Holmes on DNC Consultants:

  “There is no fiercer capitalist than a progressive Democrat in Washington, D.C.” (12:40)

• KJP Interview Satire:

  “What is a black queer woman? ... At times there's a question that should be the.” (26:00)

• On Media Bubble:

  "They feel like the media is actually their press office." (39:26)

• On 9/11 & American Values:

  “That is who 9/11 is about. ... It's not about Zoramdadi, it's not about his fake aunt, and it's certainly not about Islamophobia.” (88:21)

• On Radicalism in NYC Politics:

  “Islam is incompatible with Western values. Period.” (77:20)

• On Gavin Newsom:

  “Look at this hustling, starting a winery with the Gettys. He’s on the street.” (100:42)

Structure & Flow Summary

• Opening: Megyn sets the agenda with Biden advisor's scandal.
• First Act: Ruthless team dives into Donilon cover-up and corruption.
• Second Act: Hilarious yet cutting deconstruction of KJP’s interview and failures of media/DEI.
• Third Act: Deep, emotional, and fierce critique of Mamdani’s lies about 9/11, illustrated with real, devastating victim stories.
• Closing: Satirical take-down of Gavin Newsom’s attempt at ‘relatability.’

Conclusion

This fiery episode delivers hard-hitting, conservative-leaning commentary on liberal hypocrisy, corruption, performative identity politics, and national memory. With searing analysis, biting humor, memorable quotes, and moments of deep gravity (especially through raw 9/11 audio), Megyn and the Ruthless guests create a rich, engaging resource for anyone wanting to understand these political flashpoints—without having to listen to the whole three-hour broadcast.